The biggest sanctuary in Tamil Nadu sprawls over an area of about 958 sq.km.The animals found here are gaur, elephant, tiger, sloth bear, wild boar dog, nilgiri, langur etc.Top Slip, its main tourist area, is located in the north-west corner. Its name was derived from a practice followed during the time of British rule, when the timber harvested from the forest was slipped down a canal from the hills to the plain below. There is a bird watch tower at Kariam Shola, 2 km away from Top Slip. The range officer can arrange trekking and hill climbing and elephant rides at the sanctuary.21 km away from top the slip lies a small waterfall called Monkey falls at Aliyar.A town Amaravathy Nager has Crocodile breeding centre.

Notified as a sanctuary in 1976, it falls in Pollachi, Udumalpet and Valparai taluks in Coimbatore District.Abount 108 sq.km of grasslands was declared as a National Park in 1989, and is known as the Grass Hill National Park.

The sanctuary is an important watershed area for Coimbatore and Erode districts. The perennial rivers that originate here feed major reservoirs like Parambikulam, Aliyar, Thirumurthi, Upper Aliyar, Kadambarai, Sholayar and Amaravathy.

The sanctuary has a lot to offer visitors. If you are on a 3 to 4 days trip, you can explore the sanctuary on foot, on elephant back or on the tourist bus. To explore the sanctuary at a leisurely pace, opt for an elephant safari. You can book your ride at the Tourist Reception Centre at Top Slip. If you are keen on trekking in the sanctuary, it is compulsory to be accompanied by a guide. Bus rides into the sanctuary leaves in the morning and afternoon from the reception centre

Getting there: Coimbatore Airport (76 km/2 hrs) From Coimbatore, buses leaves for Potlatch every 15 minutes.Pollachi (36 km/1 hrs) is the nearest railhead. Buses available for Top Slip from Coimbatore; alternatively, hire a 4Wheel Drive to the duration of your visit.

Where to stay: There are a number of Forest Rest Houses in the sanctuary; some of them have hot water and provision for meals, while others have only basic facilities. For booking any of the Forest Rest Houses or trekking sheds, get in touch with the Wildlife Warden.(Wildlife Warden,365/1,Meenkarai Road,Pollachi,Coimbatore – 642001.Tel : 0422 225356)

Vedanthangal

This is a major water-bird sanctuary, located not far from Chennai. The best time to go is October-March, when cormorants, herons, ibis, storks, pelicans and other birds migrate here. Accommodation is available at the Forest Department Rest house.

Getting there:Regular bus services are available from Tambaram and Chengalpattu: you may have to walk the last kilometer. Or, take a bus from any major centre to Madurantakam (the closest large town) and hire transport for the last 8km.

Part of the larger Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in the foothills of the Nilgiri hills, this sanctuary is one of the jewels of Tamil Nadu. It's most famous for elephants (there's an elephant training camp here) but in this pristine 321 sq km of thick forest you'll also see gaur, tiger, sambhar, wild boar, bison, hornbills and minivets among other things. You can do the safari in the sanctuary minibus, by jeep, or on trained elephants. Easily accessible from both Ooty and Mysore, this place is a favorite among day trippers who often unfortunately destroy the tranquility. The best time to go is December-February and June. You are most likely to see wildlife early in the morning and late in the evenings.

Along the Mysore-Ooty Highway, at the foothills of the Nilgiris, lies some of India’s best elephant country. Administered separately, the Bandipur National Park (Karnataka) and the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu) are but components of a single spectacular ecological continuum that also includes Nagarhole (in Karnataka) and Wayanad (in Kerala).Both Bandipur and Mudumalai are oriented towards tourism; the Forest Department has trekking routes inside the parks, and organizes safaris as well.

Getting there: The nearest airport is Coimbatore (160km), the nearest railhead is Ooty (64km). Mudumalai is 91 km from Mysore by road.

Where to stay:The Forest Department lodges predictable have the best location. The Theppakadu Log House near the Moyar River has two double bedded and one four bedded suite. Sylvan Lodge also by the Moyar River, just 4 km from Theppakadu, has four double rooms. Other lodges are FRH at Abhayaranyan, FRH Annexe, Peacock Dormitory and Cuckoo FRH.

This 1,726 ha Sanctuary is in Thanjavur district, on the Palk Strait. Amid its tidal swamps, dry evergreen forests and mangroves live flamingoes and blackbuck and a large number of water birds, dolphins and turtles. This coastal sanctuary is 90 kilometers south of Thanjavur,on the wetlands jutting out into the Palk Straits, which separate India and Sri Lanka.The best time to visit here is in winter (November to January) every year; these wetlands spill over with bird life. The call of a thousand birds fill the air, as Teals,Terns,Gulls,Sandpipers and Herons nosily go about their business, of setting up nests and raising families. Flamingos that fly in each year from Europe, Australia and Russia resemble pink cloud. About 30,000 of them are estimated to arrive here every year. In the spring, a different set of birds – koels, mynas and barbets arrive here, attracted by the wild berries. Apart from birds, Dolphins, endangered blackbucks, spotted deer and wild boar are also spotted her.

Getting there:The nearest airport is at Thanjavur (90km); and the nearest railhead is at Thiruthuraipoodo (42km).The best way to arrive here is by road from Thanjavur.The only place to stay within walking distance of the sanctuary is the Forest Department Rest House.

We are pioneer travel agents and tour operators in field of travel and tourism in Tamil Nadu handling tour packages, hotel reservations and travel itineraries for Ayurveda, Honeymoon Packages, Leisure Holidays… We also offer most ideal tour itineraries and package tours to explore Tamil Nadu tourist destinations and finest hotels. Visit us at our site to chalk out your tour plan or write us… your choice of destination with travel period and budget for an exclusive and customized holiday to : halobackwaters@gmail.com